Japan Society of Fairfield County
Tanka(4)
by Dr. Ikuko Anjo Jassey
さみどりの蕗の薹より一筆啓上＜ああ、生まれてきてよかった＞
sa mi do ri no hu ki no to o yo ri
i ppi tsu ke i jo o a a u ma re te
ki te yo ka tta
A young rhubarb
on a spring day
Dropping a few lines
<How lucky I am to have been born>
桃色の村濃の空を縫い合わせ祝いの席の一竿とする
mo mo i ro no mu ra go no so ra o
nu i a wa se i wa i no se ki no hi
to sa o to su ru
Light pink; deep pink
Sewing a pink sky
making a kimono
for a wedding day
思い切り弾けて跳んだ鳳仙花追って拾って夢の種にしょ
o mo i ki ri ha ji ke te to n da ho
o se n ka o tte hi ro tte yu me no
ta ne ni sho
With all its might
a popping and leaping balsam seed—
Chase it, pick it
and let me make it a seed for a dream
むらさきの夜露のごとき命ならせめても遊べ一夜の夢と
mu ra sa ki no yo tsu yu no go to
ki i no chi na ra se me te mo a so
be hi to yo no yu me to
Frail like purple evening dew
Just fly and play
A dream for a fleeting night
Fireflies
如月の月をほんのり紅に染めて咲いてる五弁の椿
ki sa ra gi no tsu ki o ho n no ri ku re
na i ni so me te sa i te ru go be n
no tsu ba ki
Coloring the February moon
faint pink,
five-petal camellias
in full bloom
畦道に深き青さのいぬふぐり ほらここにも浄土あり
a ze mi chi ni hu ka ki a o sa no i
nu hu gu ri ho ra ko ko ni mo jo o
do a ri
Deep blue inufuguri
Tiny wildflowers in bloom
on a path between rice fields
Look! Here’s a Pure Land
追憶の扉開くればひらり落つ紅茶色した夢のひとひら
tsu i o ku no to bi ra a ku re ba hi ra ri o
tsu ko o cha i ro shi ta yu me no hi to
hi ra
Pushing open
a door of remembrance
A flake of a tea-color dream
falling off
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